Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
Standing on the same “sacred grounds” where 4,500 soldiers clashed 245 years ago on March 15, 1781, five descendants of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse gathered Saturday to breathe life into the names found in dusty 19th-century pension files.
The seminar, the first annual event of its kind, marked a milestone for the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. Staff and more than a 1,000 volunteers nationwide have been transcribing more than 2,000 pension applications—totaling 17,000 hours of labor—to make the “sometimes very hard to decipher” cursive of the 1800s accessible to the public.
Reclaiming the “Forgotten Heroes”
Keynote speaker and panelist Kevin E. Graham, the first African American president of the Lower Cape Fear Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of patriots of color.
“My presentation is not going to only be on Zachariah [Jacobs],” Graham told the audience. “It’s going to be on those patriots who the American history books do not speak of much. The fight for American independence through the eyes of forgotten heroes.”
Graham shared the harrowing story of his third great-grandfather, Zachariah Jacobs, a free man of color from Brunswick County. Jacobs served three tours, was captured by Tories, and eventually fought in the Continental Army. Graham revealed that after 244 years, Jacobs will finally be honored with a state highway marker in Wilmington this month.
“Our forefathers bled and died for these lands,” Graham said. “It makes us very proud because this is something that cannot and will not be taken from us.”
A “Spiritual Line” Through History
For the panelists, the research process was more than an academic exercise; it was an emotional “eureka” moment that bridged centuries.
Eric Bruce Wilson, a retired Department of the Interior official, discovered his ancestor, Matthew Amis, was a rifleman on the front lines at Guilford Courthouse. Amis was shot in the left arm, an injury that left him “useless” for manual labor.
“To me, there is a spiritual line that was formed,” Wilson said, noting the coincidence that his own daughter now lives in Guilford County. “These pension records were a real shock to me... they were enabling some of us to become Americans.”
Mary Lindo, a descendant of Continental soldier Edward Garnell Arden, spoke of the physical toll the war took. Her ancestor sustained wounds from a British officer’s “spontoon” (a spear-like weapon) that hindered his ability to farm for the rest of his life.
“There was nothing ordinary about my grandfather,” Lindo remarked. “He was an extraordinary man in extraordinary circumstances.”
Leadership and Sacrifice
The panel also featured local ties. Former Greensboro Mayor John Forbis spoke of his ancestor, Captain Arthur Forbis, who was mortally wounded during the battle while leading the Guilford County Militia. Arthur Forbis famously lay on the rainy battlefield for two days before being found by a neighbor.
“He recognized her [his wife] another 15 feet after he passed her,” Forbis recounted. “He died four weeks later... he was quite a gentleman.”
Solomon Titus shared the story of Ishmael Titus, who was born into slavery and forced to fight in his enslaver’s place. Ishmael survived the war and lived to be more than 109 years old. He fought in court for the pension he was rightfully owed.
A Living Legacy
The seminar emphasized that the 1832 Pension Act acted as the “United States’ first oral history project,” preserving testimonies from veterans, widows and neighbors.
“It’s not just about what happened back then,” Solomon Titus concluded. “It’s about bringing those families back together. We have documented over 101 Titus family descendants that have served this country in every American battle, past and present.”
As the park prepares for the 250th anniversary of American independence, these stories ensure that the “blood, land, and legacy” of Guilford Courthouse remain a living part of the North Carolina narrative.
Reenacting the Battle of Guilford Courthouse
A colorful and canon booming reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse Revolutionary War battle commemorated the March 15, 1781, fight for independence from the British. The reenactment delighted hundreds of spectators who watched the battle in an open pasture within Greensboro’s Country Park.
The reenactment featured a real time narration, as the authentically uniformed American forces under Greensboro’s namesake, Nathanael Greene, and Red “lobster backs” of British Commander Lord Charles Cornwallis contended each other, firing canons and lines of rifle-shooting soldiers.
History buffs and volunteers created working encampments at County Park and adjacent Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, where the participants entertained visitors.
In the actual 1781 pivotal battle, Cornwallis’ 2,100 soldiers defeated Greene’s 4,200 fighters. However, Greene’s soldiers significantly weakened the British troops which eventually led to their defeat and an American victory.
Monument to Honor Black Patriots
As the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, the Black Patriots Commemoration Project is currently raising funds to establish a monument to commemorate the actions of Black Patriots at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Today, approximately 44 soldiers of color have been identified among the people who fought on March 15, 1781 at Guilford Courthouse in the American Revolution. To learn more about the Black Patriots Commemoration Project or to become a member, email: bbernetiareed@gmail.com.
For more information about upcoming events at the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, visit the website of the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/guco/index.htm.
